Secret Agent Josephine

I wrote this a few days ago and I wasn’t going to post it because it’s pretty much a whiney, woe-is-me complain-fest about how I hate the rental situation going on right now in this economy. However, now that I’ve found a place and signed a lease (wooo to the hoooo!) (and I’m not afraid of potential landlords reading my bitter rants) and I’m over-the-moon excited about my new place, I thought it would be good context for how great it is to have finally ended The Great Apartment Search of 2012.

The big thing that is getting me down right now is that there seems to be some kind of unspoken rule (or maybe it’s law, I wouldn’t know) on how many square feet a child requires in an apartment. Did you know that? I didn’t know that. I know that Bug and I can live in a very small space but apparently landlords in Southern California do not agree with me. I’ve been turned down for FOUR apartments now because the landlord didn’t feel comfortable having two people living in a one bedroom studio.

Honestly it irks me a bit. I can understand on the super small ones. Eeeking out an existence in an apartment the size of a dorm room would be sad for Bug but it wouldn’t be impossible. Especially since her Dad would live just around the block with a three spacious bedrooms AND we would have the beach within walking distance… We are out and about all the time having fun. It’s not like I would lock her in the closet while I worked. I just don’t know…I guess since there are so many applications they have to judge me based on something and that seems to be it.

The apartment I’m looking at now (which I didn’t get) has a full-size kitchen AND a very large bedroom. It doesn’t have a living room but that’s okay with me. I’ll just put my expedit bookcase crossways in the bedroom and BAM! Two rooms. One for a double bed, one for a chair and all of Bug’s toys. My office could be in the kitchen with plenty of room to spare for a dining room table. I’d call it perfect. Bug sleeps with me anyway by choice so it’s not like she needs a whole bed area to herself just so she can stack her stuffed animals on it.

I would love to tell those landlords that I don’t feel comfortable paying two thousand dollars for two rooms but I don’t think they care much about my opinion. They probably think I belong back in the ghetto anyway. Speaking of, it was particularly ghetto last night at 2am in my neighborhood. I just can’t stand it here much longer. Also: three cockroaches this morning in the living room.

Bug graduates from kindergarten today. It’s such a big deal. It’s been a really hard year and we’ve been coaching each other through it by counting down the days since probably December. So it’s kind of hard to believe that she’s going to be done with it all as of 10am. Yikes! My big girl is going to be a first grader!

We are so ready for the summer vacation. No more hitting the snooze bar because we are so tired and forgot to go to bed early yet again. No more rushed breakfasts and skipping out on healthy things like eggs and toast. We can make pancakes again! No more stupid packed lunches that she doesn’t bother to eat anyway! No more homework! No more driving across town for me twice a day. My car is looking forward to that one. No more tear-fests at drop off. We are done, done, DUN!

On the flip side, look at all these friends she is going to say goodbye too. We’ll try our best to stay in touch but I know it will be difficult, especially after we move. I’ve been telling everyone they can come visit us at the beach and sleep under our dining room table. We’ll see if anyone actually takes us up on that.

The other day they had “Beach Day” at school and I got to stay and play. It was a blast. I think I’m ten shades darker, which I do not need.

So many cute kids. I’ve fallen in love with all of them over the course of a year.

Bug had a crush on this little boy the entire year. Thankfully he doesn’t know it and she’s too shy to tell him. Love is funny. Just because you’re six doesn’t mean you don’t feel every little heartache.

This girl I adore. When I first saw her she was dressed up super fancy with perfect hair for picture day and I thought, Oh there goes the tall popular pretty blonde girl. Then I watched her at two birthday parties and she was the kid who was TOTALLY into crafts and ignoring everybody and everything else. Then I fell in love with her. She’s a total tomboy who doesn’t even know she’s beautiful. And her personality is cuter than a button. Just sayin’… don’t judge a book by it’s cover. :)

The teacher’s daughter. What a buncha goofballs, right? I’m going to miss these kids.

This is Bug’s teacher, beloved Mrs. McLamb. We bought her a special gift for the last day and I can’t wait to give it to her. I really just don’t know how to say how thankful I am to her. This woman taught my daughter TO READ!!! I know Bug would have figured it out eventually and I could have taught her too but it just happened before my very eyes magically with next to no effort on my part. I don’t know how Mrs. McLamb wrangled 19 kids and taught them to read but she did. I think they are all reading and it’s a miracle. Trust me. I’ve been in their class and seen the circus.

Not to mention how thankful I am for the tough love lessons I learned as I practically pushed Bug into her arms nearly every day at drop off. It was so hard. Bug would be crying, and running back to me for one more hug, one more kiss, one more weird little ritual and Mrs. McLamb would just keep saying “Good Morning! Good Morning!” which was really code for Let’s get this over already. She was tough with Bug but it was the only way that worked. Coddling her just made her fear worse. So I’m thankful. We’re going to miss her. If we ever do go back to visit we will be looking for Mrs. McLamb. It’s funny how the most painful lessons are the ones that stick.

Enough sentimental stuff!